Representatives at the school, district and state levels, as well as scholars and researchers, have been working with the Education Commission of the States? National Center for Learning and Citizenship (ECS/NCLC) to define citizenship education in terms of three strands forming "a braid" of civic competencies. Beginning with the rationale and…

This curriculum unit on citizenship education examines some voluntary associations which Americans join to accomplish certain objectives. The purposes of the unit are to show students how associations take positions on certain issues, such as reforming Congress or amnesty, and how they work to effect governmental policies. It is hoped that…

Proposes a course of study that would have high school students study and practice a public policy analysis model used by public policy professionals. Elaborates on the meaning of and rationale for public policy analysis and presents a detailed conceptual framework. Argues that competence in this activity will strengthen popular sovereignty. (DSK)

Guidelines for designing and implementing ethnic studies programs and for integrating curriculum with ethnic content are presented in this position statement of the National Council for the Social Studies. The main purposes of the guidelines are to specify proper goals of school reform efforts and to designate the relationship which should exist…

The purpose of this book is to provide teachers with an idea of the range of teacher education possibilities in the field of legal education and to suggest means of constructing programs to meet the needs of individual communities. Law-related education seeks to improve the citizenship skills of American youngsters by helping them learn about the…

This curriculum guide contains learning objectives, activities, and resource and reference materials to help elementary and secondary teachers develop a legal education curriculum unit. Learning objectives are related to nine major topics: (1) Why the Law, (2) How the Law Develops, (3) How the Law Works, (4) The Court System, (5) Major Supreme…

Representatives at the school, district and state levels, as well as scholars and researchers, have been working with the Education Commission of the States' National Center for Learning and Citizenship (ECS/NCLC) to define citizenship education expressed in terms of three strands forming a "braid" of civic competencies. This updated version of…

The guide outlines concepts central to the process of governance at local, state, and national levels. It is intended for use by junior high school social studies teachers as they develop and implement educational programs to help students understand governmental structure and functions and to develop skills in evaluating government strategies and…

The Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is a state affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization that defends civil liberties in and out of the courtroom. The goal of the group is the advancement of civil liberties according to strict interpretation of the U.S.…

This paper suggests an approach for organizing the social studies curriculum to meet the need to identify specific goals while allowing for flexible content. Includes an example of how the approach works in the area of citizenship education. (JDH)

The first part of this document presents an overview of a ninth grade social studies course. Included is a brief description of the five-unit course, a note to teachers about course content, a suggested time schedule, a comment on teaching controversial issues, a rationale and major goals of the course. The second part contains a unit on…

Argues that the greatest deficiency in U.S. education is the development of behavior that is attitude and value-driven, not information-driven. Urges social studies teachers to recognize that middle school education is a moral enterprise and adjust examples, discussion, and teaching activities accordingly. Reviews research and instructional…

Provides an overview of more than two decades of research on educational change and proposes guidelines and activities for school districts attempting to institutionalize law-related education. (JDH)

This document is an exercise for teachers who are seeking to increase student understanding of the rise and expansion of democracy in new or emerging nations. The exercise complements the National Education Goals for Student Achievement and Citizenship. By design, the exercise challenges students to plan and to conduct (based on the timeless…

This book of essays connects controversies over rights and liberties today to their historical antecedents while explaining how social, political, and cultural changes have influenced understandings of specific provisions of the Bill of Rights. Written for teachers using a collaborative effort, each essay is accompanied by bibliographic…